Another shot dead, RAB calls victim drug trader

A man was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Muradpur in Chattogram’s Panchlaish area in the small hours of Friday, reports UNB.

Deceased Ashim Roy Babu, 29, son of a certain Gurusdoy Roy of Banshkhali upazila of the district was a drug trader, claims the law enforcement agency.

According to Ain o Salish Kendra, a national legal aid and human rights organisation, 334 people were killed in “crossfires” and “shootouts” with law enforcement agencies between January and August this year.

Acting on tip off, a team of RAB-7 conducted a raid in the area to arrest some drug traders around 11:45pm, said Mimtanur Rahman, assistant director (media) of Rab-7.

During the raid, the force members gave a signal to a private car to stop but passengers of the car opened fire on them, forcing them to fire back in self-defence, he said.

At one stage, Ashim Babu caught in the line of fire and died on the spot while the two other passengers of the car drove the car away leaving the body behind, Mimtanur added.

RAB-7 squadron leader Shafayet Jamil Fahim suffered bullet wounds during the incident and he was taken to Chattogram Combined Military Hospital, RAB-7 assistant director added.

A pistol and huge amount of drugs were recovered from the spot, he said.

Prothom Alo could not verify the RAB’s version of the incident independently as no version of it was available immediately either from any witness or from any member of the victim’s family.